Inflation Is Lower — So Why Is Life Still So Hard?

Malawi’s inflation rate has gone down slightly, but for many people, life still feels just as hard.

New figures from the National Statistical Office show that inflation in January 2026 dropped to 24.9 percent, from 26 percent in December. This means prices are still rising, but at a slower speed than before.

The main reason for this small improvement is food. Food prices are not increasing as fast as they were. Food inflation fell from 26.5 percent in December to 22.1 percent in January. This suggests that pressure on basic food items like maize and other staples has eased a bit.

However, the relief ends there.

Prices of non-food items — things like transport, fuel, electricity, school fees, rent, clothing, and medical costs — are rising faster than before. Non-food inflation increased to 29.8 percent, which is even higher than food inflation.

This is why many people feel no real change in their daily lives.

In just one month, from December to January, overall prices went up by 3.7 percent. Food prices rose by 2.4 percent, but non-food prices jumped by 6.2 percent — more than double.

Urban areas are feeling the pain more. In towns and cities, monthly inflation was 4.7 percent, compared to 3.3 percent in rural areas. Urban residents also faced much higher non-food inflation at 8.1 percent, while rural areas recorded 5 percent.

In simple terms: Food is rising a bit slower, but everything else is getting more expensive much faster.

So even though inflation has “slowed”, the cost of living is still very high. For most Malawians, salaries are not rising, jobs are scarce, and expenses keep piling up.

That is why, despite positive headlines, many households still struggle to pay rent, buy fuel, afford transport, or keep children in school.

The numbers show one thing clearly: Malawi’s economy may be stabilising on paper — but for ordinary people, life is still getting harder.

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